crab fest

6 July 2012

last weekend we adventured ourselves in going to the crab fest in middle caicos – it is the biggest island of turks and caicos, with an area of 144km2 and a population of about 450 people!

james had never visited, north or middle caicos, so we thought it would be a nice chance for him to visit a different island and see what the crab fest was about.

to get there we had to take the ferry from provo to north caicos and then the bus to bombarra beach, where the crab fest was taking place. we bought the tickets at the ferry dock in provo, just before leaving, and it also included the bus drive from north caicos to the festival.

it took forever though, the ferry and a car rental would’ve taken much shorter. also, when we had just bought the ferry tickets we saw there were loads of boat owners making a business out of it and giving rides to the venue – a much quicker option!

when we got there it was busy, but not yet packed, so it allowed us to look around all the food stands and chose without queuing. there were all sorts of local options, curried crab, rice and peas, conch fritter, jerk chicken – we went for the cracked conch and fried fish with rice and crab from daniel’s cafe stand and had our lunch on a shade under one of the trees by the beach. yumm!

there was a stage with music by lovey forbes, the winning band of the battle of the bands, and others. david bowen was there to cheer up the crowd too. and loads of crabs wondering around!

we spent the afternoon chilling in the water – there were stand up paddle boards brought by big blue, which got the kids really excited.

it was nice to see the place packed and everybody having a good time!

a good week ahead

2 July 2012

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i hope you had a great weekend – i can’t believe we’re already in july and half of the year has gone through!

we had an awesome one, trying to enjoy the island whilst we plan our vacation in portugal for september. on saturday we spent a great day at the crab fest in middle caicos – will share some pictures with you later this week. also, we had a look at a new boutique hotel that just opened in provo (beach house) it’s near home and the restaurant menus look promising, so we look forward to trying it.

we’ve been going for sunset dives on the beach lately, which remind us of how thankful we should be to live here.

have an amazing week – more posts on our trip to come soon!

guest post ~ pedro

14 June 2012

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pedro is my friend since we are 7 years old, oh well we had a gap of more than twenty years, but when we saw each other again we really felt as if time hadn’t gone by. we couldn’t believe we hadn’t seen each other that long! he was my friend growing up in school in madrid and spending summer vacations in the north os portugal. so i was uber excited to know he was coming for our friends’ wedding and would be sating a few more days to catch up!

ps – you will see panchi, the traveled dog, in pedro’s pictures – he will be visiting creta and thailand soon!

what do you think makes turks and caicos (providenciales) so special?

It’s an amazing island. Its beaches are breath-taking. The difference with other places is that even in high season, you still feel that the place is never crowded and that there are hundreds of spots in which you can relax and feel as you were on your own. Although there are hotels and houses by the beach, nature is very well preserved and the sea life is incredible. Scuba diving and snorkeling is a must. Don’t forget to go “conch” hunting and eat this delicious food in all its different ways. Plus people are kind and you always feel safe.

what were your favorite things to do whilst on island?

Without any doubt scuba diving, snorkeling, long walks by the beach, chill out with friends and talk to the friendly people that live there.

would you recommend to a friend?

100%. There are few paradises on earth as this place. It’s a must, at least once in a lifetime. A fantastic place to celebrate unforgettable weddings or other special celebrations. You can’t go wrong with this place – except if you don’t like sunny places, the sea, diving and other related sports and spending time in relax natural environments.

turks and caicos beaches // grace bay beach

11 June 2012

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when we first moved to provo, we stayed in a house right on the beach, so we got up early and went for a beach walk before work. we were so grateful for our new life.

then we moved to a new place, but a 5 minute walk from the beach, so the morning walks stopped…

and lately i have forced myself to go back to that routine. provo has amazing things – being close to the beach + good weather + no traffic = no excuses! i would love to share a few pictures of my morning walks at grace bey beach.

i start off at grace bay club and only this gets me in a good mood!

i then head east, towards pelican beach – i see the tourists arriving to the beach from their resorts. the early birds are the ones with kids, or if they are leaving on a day out on the boat. there are a lot of people walking and running too.

i always have to stop at the coral house, it’s the most beautiful house in provo, with no one to see near it and a gorgeous strip of beach right in front.

on the way back i am tired, the sun is usually warmer, but i feel happy to have started the day achieving something!

a pretty good day

7 June 2012

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as you can imagine, life here in paradise, doesn’t feel like paradise every single day. as in most places, you have good days and, let’s say, less good days. and today i feel is a pretty good day.

i had to run some errands in the morning, went downtown to pay a bill and then to wiv (our local internet and tv company) to pay another bill. when i was leaving wiv i realized i didn’t have my phone with me. i have to say i am the type of person to whom these things happen more often than i would like to admit… and it just gets me soooo mad. i could hear little voices in my head saying how could have done that, how can you lose you phone, how could you have left it behind…

so i went back in wiv asking if anyone had seen my phone, the security and the manager looked everywhere and she even called from her personal number whilst i checked in the car in case it was hiding somewhere. they were so helpful and suggested running back downtown to look for it where i had been earlier.

so i went back, parked in the exact same place and asked around, but nothing to be seen.

when i was about to go back i see a security coming out of a shop and calling me. i was like is he calling me? is this my lucky day? is he really calling me? so i went in and he asked me if i had lost something. then he showed me the phone and a report he had written on the occurrence. i could not stop smiling and telling him how thankful i was. i asked him how could i thank him and he kept on saying pray for me, just remember to pray for me and i’ll be happy.

somehow i had a feeling that i would find it, i had a feeling that someone good hearted would find it and keep it for me. and provo has this things that really surprise you in an uber positive way!

image source here